This is an interdisciplinary course that draws on literature, film, anthropology and cultural studies to examine the experiences of Asian Americans in US society. We will cover the first wave of Asian immigration in the 19th century, the rise of anti Asian movements, the experiences of Asian Americans during WW2, the emergence of the Asian American movement in the 1960s and the new wave of post-1965 Asian immigration. We will examine how these historical experiences have informed Asian American literature and culture. The course will address key societal issues such as racial stereotyping, media racism, affirmative action issues, the glass ceiling and the model minority syndrome.

Attendance and Participation: 25% Participating in classroom discussion is not optional. Just as it is important for you to develop good writing skills, it is also important to develop good oral communication skills. If you are shy or hesitant to talk in front of a large group, I strongly encourage you to talk to me and we can work on strategies to help you contribute more to class. Remember -- you can learn as much from each other as you can from your instructor. You will not be able to pass this part of the course if you never speak in class.

Sept 14 (Th.) Early Asian Americans.Discussion of:"From a Different Shore: Their History Bursts Forth with Telling"--Ron Takaki(Zhou and Gatewood)"Where and When I Enter" -- Gary Okihiro (Zhou and Gatewood)

Sept 26 (Tu.): Claiming Visibility: The Asian American Movement (lecture)Discussion of:"The Role of Asian American Students"--Karen Umemoto (Zhou and Gatewood)"The Four Prisons and the Movement of Liberation: Asian AmericanActivism from the 1960s to the 1990s"-- Glenn Omatsu (Zhou and Gatewood)

Nov 9 (Th.): South Asian American Experiences.Discussion of :Interpreter of Maladies.

WEEK 11.

Nov 14 (Tu.): South Asian American ExperiencesDiscussion of:Interpreter of Maladies.

Nov 16 (Th.): Youth Culture .Discussion of :"Identity Dub: The Paradoxes of an Indian American Subculture" -- Sunaina Maira (**)

WEEK 12.

Nov 21 (Tu.): Labor Issues for Asian American Communities.Discussion of essays and film."Life and Work in the Inner-City" -- Paul Ong and Karen Umemoto (Zhou and Gatewood)

OR

"Work and Its Place in the Lives of Immigrant Women: Garment Workers in New York City's Chinatown" -- Min Zhou and Regina Nordquist (Zhou and Gatewood)Film in class. Taxi-Vala/ Auto-biography. Dir. Vivek Renjen Bald.

Nov 23 (Th.): Holiday

WEEK 13.

Nov 28 (Tu.): Korean American Small Businesses and Race Issues.Discussion of essay and film: